Articles are listed in alphabetical order by state within each category, so you
can easily scan through the articles for those within your state or other states
in which you have an interest. Internationalarticles
are near the end. The categories are:Abuse
and Neglect, Laws & Legislation, Statistics and Studies, Improved Supports,International,and sometimes,
Miscellaneous.

Check the categories below for a guide to types of abuse. The categories are
indicated by type, and the number of the article.

Check the categories below for a guide to types of abuse. The categories
are indicated by type, and the number of the article.

Type:Sexual Assault: 1, 13, 78

Physical Abuse: 2, 5, 12,
64, 75

Kept enclosed: 5

Financial abuse: 10

Emotional/Verbal Abuse: 7,
11

Social Media Abuse (new category: 11

Neglect: 6,
8

Neglected to death: 8

Murder: 3,
9

Related to Special
Education: 22

Guardianship: 23

Access/ ADA: 15, 81

WINNER of most egregious
award:
#5: Child kept in specially constructed enclosed desk so she could not get out.
Principal said “the teacher’s heart was in the right place.” Would be
interesting to see if the teacher and principal were both forced to sit in
enclosed desk areas without ability to get out. And equal winner #34: Secretary
of Education rescinds essential guidance documents that help parents and others
understand the special education rights and processes.

WHO DUN IT (listed
by article number):

Family: 9

Carer: 6, 10, 13

Stranger: 3

Co-resident: 1

Hospital: 6

Special Education: 2, 5,
11, 12, 22, 64, 75, 78

Men: 2, 5, 10,
78

Women: 1, 9, 13

Good News:24: Increased criminal background check for group home employees

31: Increased training on
autism for family court attorneys/judges

32: Special education
classes will have cameras in one school district in Texas

1.“Patient's alleged
rape at mental health facility sparks investigation.” An investigation is
underway after a patient at an Orange County mental health facility was
allegedly raped. ---wftv.com, October 23 (Florida) https://is.gd/P0Ewcx

2.“Teacher Charged
with Abusing Special Needs Student.” An Escambia County special education
teacher has been charged with cruelty toward a child after after allegedly
flipping over a desk over while a special needs child was sitting in it.
According to the arrest report, 56-year-old Donna Dixon of Cantonment is a
teacher at Escambia Westgate School. She was placed on suspension a day after
the alleged incident. ---northescambia.com, October 25 (Florida) https://is.gd/d3Q8KX

3.“‘We Have Someone
Terrorizing the Neighborhood.’ Autistic Man’s Death Could Be Linked to Other
Killings.” Police believe the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old autistic man who
took the wrong bus home from work on Thursday night is linked to two other
suspicious deaths in a Florida neighborhood. --- time.com, October 20 (Florida)
https://is.gd/tcbOWB

4.MORE OF #3 “Here's
Why Police Believe This Autistic Man Is the Third Victim of A Possible Serial
Killer.” Police are heavily investigating Anthony Naiboa’s death and fear he’s
the third-known victim of a possible serial killer. ---bet.com, October 23
(Florida) https://is.gd/tMWCba

5.“La Porte school
forced girl with autism to sit at confined desk, parents claim.” The parents of
a child with autism say their second grader was forced to sit at a desk designed
to confine her without their knowledge. They said they were tipped-off by
changes in their daughter's behavior. --- abc7chicago.com, October 23 (Indiana)
https://is.gd/B7uVqL

6.“Quadriplegic
spent hours in a dirty diaper after his Medicaid services were cut.” Throughout
last summer, 25-year-old quadriplegic Louis Facenda Jr. spent as much as half of
each day in a dirty diaper after his caregiver services provided through Iowa's
Medicaid program were dramatically cut. ---desmoinesregister.com, October 19
(Iowa) https://is.gd/ZH8HI1

7.“7-year-old girl's
head shaved in Massachusetts group home.” A mother is demanding answers after
her daughter's head was shaved. ---masslive.com, October 20 (Massachusetts)
https://is.gd/WX1bnO

8.“Neglect cited at
Peabody group home.” A state investigation found that staff and administrators
at a group home for developmentally disabled adults in Peabody failed to provide
proper supervision and care to a 29-year-old Rockport man, who nearly died as a
result. ---salemnews.com, October 24 (Massachusetts) https://is.gd/SCld6m

9.“Conviction in
1991 cold case involving beating death of double amputee.” A jury delivers a
first degree murder conviction in a 1991 cold case, that claimed the life of a
Midland County woman. Attorney General Bill Schuette is praising the dedication
of local law enforcement for bringing the case to justice. ---abc12.com, October
24 (Michigan) https://is.gd/XvFaRE

10.“Group home worker
sentenced for food stamp theft.” A group home worker who stole food stamps from
disabled residents was ordered to pay $2,603 in restitution and serve three
years of probation. ---timesunion.com, October 26 (New York) https://is.gd/rkmy2q

11.“Wake County mom
upset after a picture of her autistic son using the school bathroom circulates
online.” The mother of a Rolesville High School student with autism is furious
after she said another student took a picture of her son - in the bathroom - and
shared it on social media. --- abc11.com, October 26 (North Carolina) https://is.gd/PkV58V

12.“Mom of autistic
student sues school district for 'abuse'.” The mother of an autistic Sedro-Woolley
boy is suing her school district over the way her son was transported to school.
School district video shows the young boy in a panic as he is driven to school.
---king5.com, October 25 (Washington) https://is.gd/jgJskp

13.“Sex assault at
group home.” An employee is accused of sexually assaulting a client of a live-in
facility for people with disabilities in Columbia County. 29-year-old Joel
Nesler of Reedsburg was arrested Tuesday after the assault was reported the day
before at the facility in the Town of Pacific. --- wsau.com, October 19
(Wisconsin) https://is.gd/39DT7y

LAWS &
LEGISLATION

14.“Will ESSA Reduce
States' Accountability in Special Education?” As unpopular as No
Child Left Behind was by the time it was ushered off the stage in 2015,
advocates for students with disabilities could always point to one aspect of the
law that they liked: by requiring that test scores of different student groups
be reported separately, the law exposed the low academic performance of students
in special education and required schools to do something about it. ---edweek.org,
October 24 https://is.gd/fdBAUB

15.“Disability Rights
Advocates Aren't Happy With Kyrsten Sinema For Cosponsoring This Bill.” Phil
Pangrazio spends a lot of time thinking about accessibility. As the president
and co-founder of Ability
360, a group that
advocates for independence for people with disabilities, Pangrazio has
considered whether or not the ticket stations on the light rail platforms can be
accessed by a blind person.--- phoenixnewtimes.com, October 20 (Arizona) https://is.gd/qiWjYn

16.“Aldermen Call For
Claypool’s Ouster, Accuse CPS Of Stiffing Special Needs Kids.” Calls for Chicago
Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool to resign or be fired are growing louder,
with some coming from city aldermen. ---chicago.cbslocal.com, October 24
(Illinois) https://is.gd/19kzus

17.“Iowa rule limits use of
restraints for juveniles in court.” The Iowa Supreme Court has adopted new rules
to prohibit the use of handcuffs, chains and other restraints for juveniles
appearing in court unless a judge approves in advance. ----kwqc.com, October 26
(Iowa) https://is.gd/Su8X7P

19.“Disabilities
Group Considers Asking That Handicapped Parking Fines Be Redirected.” Questions
have arisen regarding the allocation of fees generated by citations written for
people who parked illegally in parking spaces designated for handicapped
drivers. The Bourne Commission on Disabilities would like to see the town follow
provisions in state law that allow for those funds to be allocated to their
group. ---capenews.net, October 19 (Massachusetts) https://is.gd/Xz4joU

21.“Injunction sought
to screen Flint kids for special education.” The American Civil Liberties Union
is asking a judge to order tests of all Flint children who were exposed to lead
to determine if they need special education services. ---wilx.com, October 19
(Michigan) https://is.gd/xwDVE8

22.“Montana student
with disabilities was moved to basement, denied education, lawsuit claims.” A
teenage boy with disabilities in a rural Montana school district was segregated
from other students, moved to a church basement and told to do things like watch
DVDs or sort nuts and bolts instead of receiving adequate educational services,
according to a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Montana. --- helenair.com,
October 24 (Montana) https://is.gd/yF91dM

23.“With U.S. Elder
Abuse in Spotlight, a Look at Guardians.” Are unsuspecting seniors around the
United States being scooped up without warning from their homes, placed in
nursing homes and having their possessions taken away? ---money.usnews.com,
October 20 (Nevada) https://is.gd/i7H85j

24.“Lawmaker promises
group home background check crackdown.” New Jersey's top Democratic state
lawmaker plans to introduce a measure to crack down on enforcing criminal
background checks of workers at group homes. ---expressnews.com, October 22 (New
Jersey) https://is.gd/He83Mi

26.“Navajo Leader
Supported Death Penalty in Case.” The Navajo Nation president Russell Begaye
says he told prosecutors that the tribe would have supported the death penalty
for the killer of an 11-year-old girl. ---usnews.com, October 20 (New Mexico)
https://is.gd/NgmBj4

28.“Police train to
recognize, respond to people with autism.” This fall, law enforcement officials
in central Ohio are learning how to recognize and better respond to people with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. ---nbc4i.com, October 24 (Ohio) https://is.gd/SQgPEY

31.“Town Hall
Educates Judges, Lawyers On Autism For Family Court Cases.” Local judges and
lawyers are learning about the needs and challenges of children with autism
in family court. Montgomery County Judge Kelly Wall says over the last several
years they’ve seen increased incident numbers of children on the spectrum coming
into court on custody related cases. She wants to bridge the communication gap
between judges and lawyers so that the judge can have a better understanding of
what the child needs. ---http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com, October 25
(Pennsylvania) https://is.gd/mZpVyF

32.“Policy stands
between special education parents, class videos.” Parents whose students were
part of the Killeen Independent School District’s special education program
marked it as a victory when the district installed and activated cameras in four
special education classrooms during the 2016-2017 school year. --- kdhnews.com,
October 23 (Texas) https://is.gd/Z69HpQ

33.“Ed. Dept. Sweeps
Away Old Special Education Guidance and Regulations.” One of the Trump
administration's first executive orders was directing federal agencies to search
for—and eliminate, if possible— regulations considered to be burdensome to the
American public. ---edweek.org, October 20 (Washington DC) https://is.gd/hf04W1

34.“Betsy DeVos Just
Rescinded 70+ Guidelines That Protect the Rights of Students with Disabilities.”
Now, this doesn’t change the reality of students’ rights under the law. As the
Department of Education’s own
website says,
“Guidance documents represent the Department of Education’s (ED) current
thinking on a topic. They do not create or confer any rights for or on any
person and do not impose any requirements beyond those required under applicable
law and regulations.” ---themarysue.com, October 22 (Washington DC) https://is.gd/qppyPA

STUDIES
& STATISTICS

35.“Special Needs,
Higher Abuse Risks.” Child maltreatment is a challenging issue to address in the
office or hospital setting, and children with special health care needs and
disabilities can be at higher risk for maltreatment. ---aappublications.org,
October 26 https://is.gd/31g0aN

36.“Disabilities tied
to worse access to care, poorer health.” People may have less access to care and
worse health outcomes than individuals without physical or mental challenges,
two recent studies suggest. ---reuters.com, October 26 https://is.gd/zvS5c1

38.“Association of
antidepressants with incident type 2 diabetes among Medicaid-insured youths.” A
retrospective cohort study focused on the relationship between antidepressant
use in minors and risk for type 2 diabetes—a pattern already detected among
adults. ---pharmacist.com, October 20 https://is.gd/qiWjYn

39.“After
skyrocketing, opioid abuse plateaus but remains too high, national U.S. analysis
shows.” More than 13 percent of Americans 12 and older -- nearly 1 in 7 -- have
abused prescription opioids at some point in their lives, researchers determined
after analyzing the latest data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH), an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration. ---sciencedaily.com, October 22 https://is.gd/WEaXbL

40.“People with
Autism Represent 'Untapped Reservoir of Talent'.” Today, more people are being
diagnosed with autism (1 in 68 children in the U.S. as of 2014). But as they
complete college and enter adulthood, many of these individuals struggle to find
work. ---shrm.org, October 25 https://is.gd/1khjs5

41.“Why
Does Autism Impact Boys More Often Than Girls?” Exposures to inorganic
mercury in the processed food supply might be a reason --scientificamerican.com,
October 23 https://is.gd/lLhnqM

43.“People with Down
syndrome get fewer cancers, but CU researchers need more funding to understand
why.” Congressional hearing will address money for studying Down syndrome---denverpost.com,
October 25 (Colorado) https://is.gd/0ukPt6

45.“New autism study
a "shocking wake-up call" for society, say academics.” People who show
characteristics of autism are more at risk of attempting suicide, according to a
Coventry University study whose results are being presented to a United States
federal advisory committee tomorrow. ---medicalxpress.com, October 23 (UK)
https://is.gd/0JxtnZ

IMPROVED
SUPPORTS

46.“Why Microsoft,
Chase and Others Are Hiring More People With Autism.”
Chargeback loves
obsessive employees. The Utah-based company investigates and documents credit
card disputes -- every time someone claims a card was used without their
permission -- and so its analysts must be persistent and nitpicky, with a sharp
eye for detail that not everyone has. ---entrepreneur.com, October 24 https://is.gd/mVqYpl

48.“Hollywood
is talking about inclusion more than ever, but not for disabled actors.” Stories
about people with disabilities are flooding the big screen this year, but nearly
none feature actual disabled talent. ---usatoday.com, October 22 (California)
https://is.gd/osjXTU

49.“Florida Aquarium
hosts Halloween for children with sensory disabilities.” he Florida Aquarium is
once again holding its Sensory Guppyween for children with sensory disabilities
ahead of opening for Guppyween for children of all ages. ---fox13news.com,
October 20 (Florida) https://is.gd/lc0WoJ

50.
“Commentary: Private school saved my autistic son's life.” I try not to judge
people when I’ve never walked in their shoes. But that’s what the Sentinel did
in its articles on school-choice scholarships and the schools where families use
them (“Schools Without Rules,” OrlandoSentinel.com). ---orlandosentinel.com,
October 23 (Florida) https://is.gd/Ck150Q

51.“Making the Grade:
Program helps special needs seniors graduate.” Five years ago, special education
teachers in Cherokee County made a discouraging discovery: When it came to
graduation, special needs students were lagging well behind their peers. ---ajc.com,
October 24 (Georgia) https://is.gd/90g4cT

52.“Naperville
teacher encourages curiosity, respect about disabilities.” Chris Cook, a
fourth-grade teacher at May Watts Elementary in Indian Prairie Unit District 204
who has cerebral palsy, speaks about his experiences and challenges with his
disability during a Disability Awareness Month assembly at the Naperville
school. ---dailyherald.com, October 25 (Illinois) https://is.gd/genKMg

53.“Columbus hot dog
business helping those with special needs find work.” After an unexpected
medical emergency nearly lost him his daughter, Randy Lapidus has opened a hot
dog restaurant to help her, and others who struggle to find an enjoyable job,
work. --- fox59.com, October 21 (Indiana) https://is.gd/50qxyg

55.“Church refocuses
ministry on autistic children, families.” Aaron Keller’s family didn’t used to
go out much in public. --- wcfcourier.com, October 22 (Iowa) https://is.gd/NxUlFy

56.“Workers with
disabilities are an untapped force for Iowa employers.” n 1941, Goodwill founder
the Rev. Edgar Helms said, “Be dissatisfied in your work until every person in
your community has an opportunity to develop to their fullest usefulness and
enjoy a maximum of abundant living.” ---desmoinesregister.com, October 20 (Iowa)
https://is.gd/6eIfni

57.“Parents, teachers
highlight flaws in Frederick County’s special education program.” After paying
nearly $30,000 trying to get services for her children, Michelle Myers decided
to take them out of Frederick County Public Schools. fredericknewspost.com,
October 21 (Maryland) https://is.gd/pwPJXT

58.“The history of
Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis and the contributions of former
students.” The Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) in St. Louis has been
serving deaf children throughout the country for more than one hundred years.
---stlpublicradio.org, October 26 (Missouri) https://is.gd/mpKWuU

59.“Special education
teachers spread thin in the St. Louis region.” There’s a limited pool of people
certified to teach special education in the St. Louis metro area, putting
districts from St. Charles County to the Metro East in intense competition for
qualified candidates. ---stlpublicradio.org. October 20 (Missouri) https://is.gd/txAWNT

60.“Special Ed Kids
Deserve a First-Class Education. Top Charter Networks Must Give It to Them.”
Charter management organizations have revolutionized education in New York City.
Will they do the same for special education? ---the74million.org, October 23
(New York) https://is.gd/5RNvL6

61.“Springfield
exhibit displays work of artists with disabilities.” Their art looks good enough
to go on a menu and it’s being served by the Springfield Museum of Art. ---springfieldnewssun.com,
October 23 (Ohio) https://is.gd/gmQ180

62.“Legally blind man
says Uber driver refused to allow service dog in car.” A legally blind Austin
man said he was denied service from an Uber driver because he had a service dog
with him. ---fox7austin.com, October 24 (Texas) https://is.gd/ZLgkpK

63.“IBM giving its
parents $50,000 per child for disability services.” Today, IBM let its employees
know it’s expanding the benefits to its working parents. In a blog, it announced
the plan Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Parenting. ---
parenting.blog.austin360.com, October 25 (Texas) https://is.gd/97So17

INTERNATIONAL

64.“Townsville
kindergarten closed over mouldy mattresses, smacking of special needs child.”
Authorities have temporarily shut down a north Queensland kindergarten following
a string of breaches including mouldy mattresses, dangerous play areas and a
failure to properly report the smacking of a special needs child. ---abc.net.au,
October 23 (Australia) https://is.gd/5xrmE9

65. “Promise of
universal public education unfulfilled for students with special needs.” Today,
public schools enroll students who 75 years ago rarely attended school. Children
who were deaf, blind, or who had developmental disabilities did not typically
attend public schools. If they were educated, their education took place at
home, in specialized schools or in institutions. ---vancouversun.com, October 19
(Canada) https://is.gd/h0XNFA

66.“Adult Capacity
Act: this law applies to all.” Our heads swirl daily from the symphony of people
claiming their right to be treated with dignity and respect, claiming their
right to equality regardless of age, disability, place of origin and so on. ---
thechronicleherald.ca, October 23 (Canada) https://is.gd/xVK6mR

67.“Vatican
conference explores ways to welcome people with disabilities in parish life.”
Martin Benton is in his late 60s. He’s a husband, father of two and a proud
grandfather of one. He’s a lawyer, and his wife describes him as a “fun,
intelligent individual.” ---cruxnow.com, October 20 (Italy) https://is.gd/vywvuH

68.“Pope decries
‘eugenic tendency’ to eradicate people with disabilities.” Pope Francis on
Saturday condemned what he called a “eugenic tendency” to prevent babies found
by prenatal tests to have imperfections from being born, saying it’s part of a
strong prejudice against people with disabilities. ---cruxnow.com, October 21
(Italy) https://is.gd/DwTTi3

69.“‘I was told I
would never go to college. Now, I’m a graduate’.” Trinity Centre for people with
intellectual disabilities among winners of funding ---When Margaret
Turley went to a special school for children with intellectual
disabilities, all she recalls is being told what she couldn’t do. ----irishtimes.com,
October 24 (Ireland) https://is.gd/zmOa6q

70.“Seoul opens first
public medical center for children with developmental disorders.” South Korea’s
first and only hospital dedicated for children with developmental disorders will
hold its official opening Friday, amid hopes for better care of some 20,000
young affected patients across the nation. ---koreaherald.com, October 26
(Korea) https://is.gd/WA1Y04

71.“A lifeline for
special school leavers.” WHO knows what goes on behind those beautiful minds?
Nobody, not teachers, not parents, and there lies an untapped potential source
of talent among young special people who have left school but are not suitable
for formal employment due to their various disabilities--- thestar.com.my,
October 26 (Malaysia) https://is.gd/97eZdd

72.“Flashing smoke
alarm wakes deaf woman, saves life.” Mihiarangi Marsters is living proof smoke
alarms save lives. The 71-year-old great-great-grandmother escaped as flames
engulfed the kitchen of her Tikipunga home. Deaf since the age of 7, it was the
special flashing smoke alarm that woke her and allowed her to grab her
4-year-old great- granddaughter and flee before it was too late. ---nzherald.co.nz,
October 23 (New Zealand) https://is.gd/VOF3Yh

73.“Gov’t needs to
address underlying issues to fix education system.” School principals say the
new government won't fix the education system without addressing underlying
issues. ---newstalkzb.co.nz, October 25 (New Zealand) https://is.gd/oGBs35

74.“Minister steps in
to review deportation of intellectually disabled man.” An intellectually
disabled man has been granted a temporary stay in the country just hours before
he was due to be deported. ---stuff.co.nz, October 26 (New Zealand) https://is.gd/1YUXHH

75. “School apology
after child restraint probe.” The family contacted a watchdog to complain that
the council had failed to comply with its policy on restraint and physical
intervention, without good reason. ---pressandjournal.co.uk, October 20
(Scotland) https://is.gd/utSy3h

76.“Should people
with severe mental disabilities be able to vote?” People with disabilities and
placed under full guardianship are the only Swiss citizens who do not have the
right to vote. This violates the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, which Switzerland ratified in 2014. Experts are now committed to
overturning this inequality. ---swissinfo.ch, October 25 (Switzerland) https://is.gd/MPE28W

77.“Pro-life group
‘delighted’ UN committee opposes abortion based on disabilities.” The support
group Every Life Counts has warmly welcomed the submission of the UN Committee
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which says that allowing
abortion on disability grounds violates the UN Convention of the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. ---lifesitenews.com, October 26 (Switzerland) https://is.gd/T2ssYr

79.“How coping
mechanisms allow autistic people to manage their condition.” In a recent
documentary, naturalist and wildlife presenter, Chris Packham, talked
about having Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. It was a rare snapshot into the life of an
adult with Asperger’s – and especially so as Packham only realised this in his
40s. ---theconversation.com, October 20 (UK) https://is.gd/sToT3o

80.“LGBT charity
criticised over staff guidelines allowing sex with clients.” A leading Yorkshire
LGBT charity working with child abuse victims and vulnerable young adults has
been criticised for allowing staff to embark on sexual relationships with
clients. ---theguardian.com, October 22 (UK) https://is.gd/0FqO9M

81.“Mum ‘kicked off
packed Arriva bus because her autistic son, five, was annoying the driver by
singing The Wheels on The Bus’.” Amanda Little was riding the Arriva bus into
Colchester, Essex, on Saturday when the driver apparently slammed on his brakes
and demanded they get off. ---thesun.co.uk, October 24 (UK) https://is.gd/ZzFiXB

82.“Missing
vulnerable people: Surrey Police launches initiative for risk reduction.” Surrey
Police has announced the introduction of an initiative to help find vulnerable
people, such as dementia sufferers, if they go missing. ---surreycomet.co.uk,
October 25 (UK) https://is.gd/sACBBr

MISCELLANEOUS

83.“Actors play men
with disabilities and get awards. Women never even get the chance.” “My Left
Foot.” “Born on the Fourth of July.” “The Theory of Everything.” They all
grabbed Oscar wins or nominations for the (able-bodied) actors who portrayed men
with visible physical disabilities. In fact, disability is one of the easiest
ways for men to get on awards lists, right up there with losing or gaining a lot
of weight, portraying a character with mental illness or playing a gay man when
you’re straight. ---washingtonpost.com, October 20 https://is.gd/gqfube

84.“Dear Dr Jennifer:
Is contraception appropriate for my intellectually disabled child?” Dear Doctor,
My daughter has an intellectual disability and has never been held back by this.
She's pretty independent and we are considering her living outside the home. ---independent.ie,
October 25 https://is.gd/jY7K7c

85.“Double amputee
who trains for triathlons and mentors others with disabilities receives Utah’s
Ace Award.” Vernal’s Sidney Smith lost his legs but not his spirit and is
recognized for his contribution to people with disabilities. ---sltrib.com,
October 26 (Utah) https://is.gd/SIs8MQ